CWR recently helped obtain a judgment against a local Teriyaki restaurant for failure to pay wages for all hours worked. In 2019, the Center for Workers’ Rights was contacted by an employee of a Sacramento restaurant, Teriyaki to Go. She reported being subjected to harassment, and unfair treatment in the workplace. The worker wishes to remain anonymous, but has allowed us to share her story in hopes of helping other workers to come forward.
During her time employed by the restaurant, her boss often verbally abused her, while other management stood by and watched. As vile as her treatment was, she lacked any real recourse, since the boss treated most of his employees in this way.
However, CWR was able to review the payroll procedures of her employer and determined that the employer had forced her to work off the clock. Through the wage claim process with the Labor Commissioner’s Office, we were able to secure a judgment of over $11,000 for the hours that she worked without proper pay and related penalties.
Because of the laws pertaining to them, cases of harassment and discrimination can often be difficult to prove. But it’s rare that a worker is only ever facing one form of injustice. Like this employee’s case, workers often face multiple violations of their rights, and therefore have various roads they can take to rectify the issues they face. If you or anyone you know is facing mistreatment at work please call us at 916-905-5857 or email us at hotline@rightscenter.org. All information shared with the Center for Workers’ Rights is confidential. Language services are available.